The Solomon Islands Football Federation (SIFF) will be awarding scholarships to players of the national team next year.
Fifteen scholarship awards are available for elite football players in the country to pursue education and elite training overseas under the PG2023 Legacy Scholarships.
This initiative is part of the Elite Program within the SIFF Technical Department to give national players a care pathway and opportunities to train with international teams under professional coaches.
SIFF President William Lai said the scholarship is providing an avenue for elite national team players to pursue a career besides football.
Lai stressed that this year that a good number of local football players opt to leave for jobs in Australia under the Pacific Labor Scheme and Seasonal Worker Program.
“We are losing top players to seasonal worker program therefore SIFF will talk with the National Hosting Authority (NHA) to ensure not too much exodus before the Pacific Games 2023,” he said.
“It is important for us to keep our elite athletes if we are going to achieve our gold medal target.”
The PG2023 Legacy Scholarships is an initiative by SIFF to create a positive legacy with football athletes that will contribute to their ability to be productive citizens of Solomon Islands.
This is based on a desire for football to impact up positively on the lives of athletes empowering them not only in sports but in fields of work that will lead them to broader roles for nation-building in Solomon Islands.
The PG2023 Legacy Scholarships shall be a special fund set up to provide academic and other training for football athletes. This includes education programs with local institutions in the areas of computing, carpentry, auto-mechanics, nursing, and administration etc. Ranging from certificate courses to degree-level qualifications.
With a key focus on sports, the PG2023 scholarship is also to offer opportunities for football athletes to access special training with overseas football institutions that will serve to extend their careers. This will bring a net benefit back to our performance in the 2023 Pacific Games.
The scholarships shall be presented to twenty football athletes equally shared between males and females. The astringent selection process shall be established with a body to consider applications for suitable candidates who are key players in national teams but with the potential to benefit from academics.
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